by Sam Tackeff | Feb 14, 2016 | Uncategorized
Happy Sunday, everyone!
Here’s what’s going on in my little corner of the interwebs.
This week I’ve been reading Oliver Sacks’ memoir ‘On The Move‘, and could not recommend it more. It’s been such a comforting read during the bracing Real Feel -30 nights in New England. I’ve been making a concerted effort to read more memoirs lately – I find solace and comfort in the fact that so many incredible people spend much of their lives feeling a little lost and trying to find their place in the world. The best of them do it with a spirit of adventure that I’d like to emulate!
As for my adventures: Monday (tomorrow!) starts my third session of Secrets of Self Care, a course I designed to help people feel their best to be able to do good work in the world. There are still a few spots left if you are interested. Sign up here.
I also created a free Facebook group for those interested in health, wellness, and productivity: it’s called the Productivity and Wellness Percolator. If you’d like to join, simply sign up for the wellness wisdom mailing list, and then request an add to the group here!
Dinner wise, my week looks a little bit abbreviated because I’m traveling on Thursday – to Disney for the Princess 5k! I ordered a Blue Apron box (I’m on the fence about most meal planning services, but they *are* convenient when the weather is freezing and you are short on time.
Dinners this week:
– cheesy chicken with brussels sprouts
– Mexican spiced salmon with black rice, avocado, and orange salad.
– Lebanese lamb and beef arayes with broccoli
– chicken and mashed potatoes with maple carrots
Stay warm this week!
by Sam Tackeff | Feb 7, 2016 | Meal Planning
I finished two books this weekend.
Saturday afternoon I finished a book I’ve been reading – Stephen Pressfield’s The War of Art. I’ve started (hesitantly) marking up my non-fiction personal development reads, and this one had so many notations. It’s going on my desk in my little self-help reminder zone, so I can pull it down and re-read sections when I’m feeling stuck.
Today, I finished Patti Smith’s M Train. It was exactly what I needed it to be. There’s a few pages in there about an adventure seeking the greatest coffee in the world, and they may have been the best few pages I’ve read in a long time.
After finishing the book, I took the pup on a long overdue walk. In my Secrets of Self Care course last week, we had a module on personal development – and someone mentioned their dog being a large part of their current personal development – which on reflection couldn’t have been more true for myself as well. I’ve learned so much about myself over the past few months of getting to know, love, and train my little puppy. One of my favorite parts of the week is training class – we are working through puppy kindergarten, and then I’d like to work with him on both agility and therapy dog training. It’s a great way to engage your dog, keep them thinking, and work on your own communication skills – you have to clearly communicate with an animal who can’t speak in your language, but when it works, it’s so satisfying!
I then progressed to planning out my weekend chores. The dishes needed a new system, and we need a new dishwasher, so I’ve been working on the backlog. We have yet again, an abundance of cardboard boxes that have piled up, and an IKEA bookshelf that needs to be assembled. (I actually enjoy assembling IKEA, but it’s not clear where this is going to go.) The fridge needed a purge and cleaning.
Then I sat down to meal plan. Here’s what was on my mind this week before heading to Trader Joe’s during the Superb Owl:
:: a breakfast plan for my weekly co-working date
:: a crunchy salad that can be assembled in the fridge and last for several days
:: a tray of roasted vegetables
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:: The Weekly Meal Plan: Week of February 6th, 2016 ::
After I cleaned my fridge, and realized that I had absolutely nothing left in there to eat. When I got to the store, I ended up scrapping a few of my ideas in order to get in more vegetables. I took home a pile of greens, and will be eating them throughout the week on top of my planned meals.
Sunday: mandarin orange chicken thighs with broccoli slaw, and a slice of almond cake. Not quite wings and pizza, but delicious none the less. (See header picture.)
Monday: lamb chops and cruciferous salad with balsamic dressing and thyme honey – I need to remember to defrost some lamb from the freezer!
Tuesday: cheesy chicken with Brussels sprouts and dubliner usually I make this with Laughing Cow cheese, but I noticed that they make spreadable Dubliner flavored wedges, and thought I’d give them a go.
Wednesday: eggs for dinner. Same as last week. I’ll keep this one simple and make a regular scramble and a green salad.
Thursday: roasted sweet potatoes with beef and tahini sauce, and broccoli. Inspired by Jules Clancy’s recipe on Stone Soup.
Friday: out! or as we do these days – takeout and an On Demand movie at home.
